Field Marshal Asim Munir, who holds the dual appointments of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, visited Corps Headquarters in Peshawar and told troops to sustain vigilance and readiness against what the military described as externally sponsored threats, the Inter‑Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on 24 October 2026.
The ISPR published a summary of the visit and of operational briefings that Munir received on counter‑terrorism, border management and the preparedness of formations deployed in Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa. The statement said Munir praised the “high morale and professionalism of officers and troops” and ordered continued vigilance and the “highest standards of operational readiness to effectively counter threats”.
“[Field Marshal Asim Munir] commended the high morale and professionalism of officers and troops, directing them to continue vigilance and highest standards of operational readiness to effectively counter threats,” the ISPR said.
ISPR cites operations in Gwadar and blames India
In a separate ISPR release on the same day, Pakistan’s military media wing said security forces had foiled attacks in Gwadar district in Balochistan and, during clearance operations carried out on 22 October, had killed ten militants it described as “India‑sponsored”. The ISPR said the militants, named as affiliated with Fitna al Hindustan, had attempted attacks in the areas of the Gabd Border Crossing and Gwadar city.
- The ISPR said operations were launched to protect civilians and clear targeted locations; one civilian was reported killed and several vehicles damaged during the incidents, according to the military statement.
- The ISPR used the phrase that the terrorists were “sent to hell” when describing the casualties; the release also invoked tributes to the sacrifices of Pakistani security forces.
The ISPR account attributes both the operational results and the description of the militants’ sponsorship to Pakistan’s military. The claim that the militants were supported by India is a Pakistani allegation and is reported as such.
What the ISPR reported, and what it did not
The ISPR provided the broad outlines of the incidents, Munir’s remarks and the number of militants killed on 22 October 2026. The statement did not include names of units involved, detailed battlefield locations beyond the general areas named, nor independent confirmation of the militants’ identities or the allegation of external sponsorship.
Pakistan’s public attribution of militant activity to Indian backing is a repeated element of its official narrative; the ISPR release continues that pattern by linking the thwarted attacks in Gwadar to what it called an effort to “undermine the writ of the state” and to obstruct development projects in Balochistan.
Both the Peshawar visit and the Gwadar operations were presented by the ISPR as evidence of sustained counter‑terror activity and of the army leadership’s emphasis on operational readiness and border security.
